Author: Letter to Editor

When Sen. Steve Cwodzinski defeated the Minnesota Senate majority leader in his first political campaign after retiring from a long and meaningful teaching career, I was both surprised and overjoyed. Steve was the kind of social studies teacher who inspired not only his students but his fellow teachers as well. I have known Steve Cwodzinski since 1982 and have the deepest respect for his character, intellect, and energy. His first campaign focused on a platform of civic-mindedness as opposed to political divisiveness, looking for ways to get key infrastructure projects moving forward, funding mental health services for students, and supporting…

Sen. Cwodzinski is up-to-date on what’s happening in the world. His weekly newsletters are highly informative, he is thoroughly engaged with his constituents, and his efficient staff makes sure he is personally available whenever needed. As chair of the civility caucus, he understands the importance of having a strong two-party form of government which promotes healthy discourse ultimately leading to productive legislation. If he were to ever again offer his excellent adult class on the American Constitution (which he knows like the back of his hands), I highly recommend it. As an independent voter and proud member of “The Cwod…

As a past school board member, I write in support of Jody Ward-Rannow and Francesca Pagan-Umar for the 4-year term on the Eden Prairie School Board and Isaac Kerry for the 2-year term. We need members who are focused on the future of our students and who will provide strong support for our teachers and staff. Teachers are our neighbors and go into teaching to give our students the learning and skills for their future. Due to a global pandemic, our students’ learning is incomplete, yet some want to suggest our students have failed. They have not failed and have,…

Eden Prairie is a diverse community. Our school board should be reflective of that diversity by including qualified diverse individuals. Students in Eden Prairie deserve to see leaders that look like them. Debjyoti “DD” Dwivedy is the person for this job. He is an immigrant who came to the United States from India when he was 22 years old. DD became an American citizen, is a member of the Army Reserves, a hard-working member of the community, and volunteers with many organizations; the most important group in my perspective is as a member of the Race and Equity Advisory Council…

For the last two years I have been watching Eden Prairie School Board meetings and have been horrified by the lack of organization and knowledge that is routinely displayed by some members. The Chair is incapable of leadership, parliamentary rules are frequently ignored, meetings ramble and accomplish little and some of the board Members are ignorant of what is happening within our schools, what their role is, or how to work together. Some do not even attend school events or interact with students, parents and teachers. Is this the best we can offer? Given this, I am voting for only…

I would like to share my perspective as an Indian-American and how my experiences will influence who I vote for in this school board election. Growing up, teachers talked about the poverty and pollution in India but dismissed the beauty of my culture. I was teased about my food and my grandmother’s sari. I can share so many experiences in which I was “othered.” If you meet me today, you hear my fluent English and experience my extroverted personality with no clue of the trauma that lies beneath. When I first moved to Eden Prairie, I fell in love with…

As we approach the November election for Eden Prairie School Board, it seems we should consider that which is most important to our children.The first, of course, our school should be a safe place of learning for all. All means everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, skin color or gender. The second is we should strive for great numbers in terms of college readiness and graduation rate. According to a Google search by state, Minnesota only ranks 29 in college readiness and 34th in graduation rates. When choosing five candidates to fill vacancies on the board, we should identify those willing…

If there ever was a time for new voices in Minnesota state government, it’s now. Violent crime is up and has spread to the suburbs. Since summer of 2021, three people I know personally and their families have been impacted by violent crimes — armed home invasion, armed theft while getting into an Uber (Uber was carjacked, too), and shot and killed while driving (the “youth baseball coach”). Lives have been changed forever. Crime has been increasing in Minnesota for the past few years. In the past two, it exploded. Source: Minnesota Crime Data Explorer (mn.gov). At a town hall…

Eden Prairie Schools is a top-performing school district. As an elected member of the Eden Prairie School Board from 2012-2015 and an appointed member in 2019 and 2021, I can’t emphasize enough how a change in our school board’s philosophy could take our schools in a direction other than what has produced our success. With five of seven seats up for reelection this fall, it’s critically important we elect board members who will continue to place high expectations for student achievement on district staff, demand proven methods, and maximize taxpayer dollars. For the four 4-year term seats, I am supporting…

I was raised with the concept that “you should leave a place better than you found it.” We Minnesotans now “find” ourselves in the midst of a rapidly changing climate, with Minnesota’s temperature rise outpacing the average rate of warming globally. There is much that we can do as individuals to reduce our impact on Minnesota’s warming climate, including electing leaders who work to protect Minnesota for future generations. Eden Prairie is fortunate to have such a leader in our State Sen. Steve Cwodzinski. As a member of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee, Steve…